Translational genomic research capable of illuminating genomic variation and gene expression in ways that can lead to health benefits is only possible if researchers have access to the raw materials they need: large numbers of DNA samples from genetically diverse sets of people with relevant phenotypic traits. The design of any specific translational genomic research project is shaped by the need to procure these annotated samples. But procuring the raw materials for translational genomic research is not as straightforward as ordering chemical reagents from a scientific supply house. In order to acquire the volume and kinds of human DNA samples they require, genome scientists must build or turn to existing collections of stored tissue from human beings. For these scientists, the managers of these collections, and the people from whom biospecimens are obtained, this need raises normative questions about dispositional authority over samples, ownership of intellectual property [B-5], the privacy of the information that biospecimens yield, and how best to share the benefits of research among those involved.
